Page 14 - January 2025

Calendars of Faith and Culture

Religious and cultural calendars often differ significantly from the
Gregorian system. The Islamic calendar, for example, is a lunar calendar

with 12 months of 29 or 30 days, resulting in a year about 11 days shorter

than the solar year. Meanwhile, the Jewish calendar is lunisolar, balancing

lunar months with periodic leap months to stay aligned with the seasons.

India’s diverse traditions have spawned multiple calendrical systems. The

Hindu calendar, for instance, combines lunar months and solar years, with

regional variations influencing its structure.

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, begins on the first day

of the Chinese lunar calendar, typically falling between January 21 and
February 20. The exact date is determined by the second new moon after

the winter solstice. Traditionally, it marks the transition from winter to

spring and is steeped in ancient customs. The festival is heralded by

cleaning and decorating homes to drive away bad luck, family reunions,
and symbolic foods. Each year is associated with one of the 12 animals in

the Chinese zodiac, creating a cycle that spans 12 years. The celebrations

culminate with the Lantern Festival on the 15th day, featuring parades,

lantern displays, and dragon dances to usher in prosperity and happiness.

As we see, calendars are more than tools for tracking time; they embody

humanity’s quest to understand the cosmos and our place within it. From
the Sumerians’ lunar cycles to Gregorian precision and beyond, the

evolution of calendars showcases our ingenuity, cultural diversity, and

cosmic curiosity. Next time we glance at a calendar, let’s acknowledge the
millennia of innovation that made it possible.

Katerina Belik

14 - My Indigo Sun